Introduction
Bankside, Borough and London Bridge make up a unique area with a long and varied history. It is an important part of central London providing jobs and prosperity that helps makes Southwark successful. It is also an area many people call home and rely on to serve their day to day needs. When London was first established by the Romans, and later in Shakespeare’s day, the part south of the River Thames was an important and very special place. Later it came to be seen as a suburb – somewhere much less important and attractive than the ‘real’ centre of London on the north bank. This has now changed again. History has come full circle and the south is coming into its own. Bankside, Borough and London Bridge has been designated an opportunity area in the London Plan and it is clear that there are tremendous opportunities to create an extraordinary world city quarter containing successful business districts, sustainable residential neighbourhoods and world class services. The continuous, traffic-free walking route along the south bank of the Thames has helped create a chain of high quality visitor and cultural attractions. The south bank is once again the home of London government, not only with the Mayor’s headquarters at City Hall but with bases for Transport for London, the London Development Agency and the London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority. Over the next 15 years a range of development is expected to take place in Bankside, Borough and London Bridge, particularly new housing and business space. As there is a limited amount of sites available for development we need to make the most of them The Thameslink improvements and the Jubilee Line upgrade will make London Bridge station one of the most important transport hubs in the capital. Until now, it has been seen very much as a gateway to places north of the river with most of the people leaving the station in the morning peak heading straight across the bridge to the offices in the City. There is a great opportunity now to make London Bridge a more important destination with developments in and around the station carefully planned so that people living and working there will find it attractive, convenient, lively and friendly and the maximum benefit is achieved for the local area and for London as a whole. The 306 metre tall mixed use tower at London Bridge known as the ‘Shard’or London Bridge Tower is already emerging from the ground now and willntake its place as a symbol of the confidence of this part of central London in time for London 2012. The area is already associated with one of the world’s leading centres for medical training, research and treatment in Guy’s Hospital and the King’s College Medical School whose plans will reflect their international prestige with the quality of environment and accommodation that they deserve. While London Bridge station and its immediate surroundings will undergo a dramatic improvement, other parts of the area around Bankside and The Borough will benefit from more gradual change so that they continue to be among the most attractive and convenient residential areas in central London. The area has the potential to provide a very high quality of life and a wide range of services locally. The trend towards sustainable transport particularly walking and cycling, will be continued and opportunities to reduce the impact of motor traffic congestion experienced in some parts of the area will be taken. The highly valued parks, gardens and other open spaces in the area will be protected and improved. Bankside, Borough and London Bridge share a special relationship with Elephant and Castle as part of London’s central activities zone and opportunity areas. Over the coming years they will grow and develop together. It is important that this is well coordinated as what happens in one area will influence what happens in the other. There are opportunities for shared social and economic infrastructure such as sports, leisure and community facilities. Ensuring these areas are well connected will be key to spreading the benefits.